Illuminating unit



1942- H. J. CLASPY ET AL 9,

ILLUMINATING UNIT Filed Aug. 28, 1940 IINVENTOQFEL Patented Jan. 6, 1942 ILLUMINATING UNIT Hugh .1. Claspy, Monaca, and Erson V. Ogg, Etna,

Pa., assi ors to Phoenix Glass Company,

Mona'ca, l2a., a corporation of West Virginia Application August 28, 1940, Serial No. 354,526

4 Claims.

One object of our invention is to provide a.

shield and a holder therefor of such form that the holders and shield can readily be applied to various standard forms of lamp structures, and

whereby the shield can easily be applied and removed from the holder without the necessity of operating any fastening elements such as screws.

Another object of our invention is to provide an arrangement whereby stock lengths of shield elements can be employed in connection with lamp tubes of various lengths, rendering unnecessary the forming of shield elements of certain particular lengths to fit over each of various lengths of lamp tubes.

Some of the forms which our invention may take are shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Figures 1, 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the shield in position in its holder and indicating the manner in which it is manipulated to disengage it from the holder; Fig. 4 is a side view of an illuminating unit, partially in section and with the shield elements spread apart slightly at their ends; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of one of the shielding elements on an enlarged scale; Fig. 6 is a view partially in end elevation and partially in section of a modified form of shielding element, and Fig. 'l is a side view of a shielding unit embodying elements of the form shown in Fig. 6.

The shield is shown as positioned around a lighting tube 8 which has connection with terminals 8a that are carried by a bracket 9 and suitably wired. In some cases a number of tubes 8 are comprised within a single lamp structure. The bracket 9 is carried by a combined cover plateand shield holder III that has flanges or ledges II and I2 disposed at opposite sides of the lamp 8. The shield comprises elements I3 that have flanges l4 formed on their longitudinal edges in position to rest upon the ledges II and I2, to thereby aflord support for the elements It. Ribs or shoulders l4a are formed on the undersides of the flanges l4 and normally have abutting engagement with the innermost edges of the prevent accidental lateral shifting of the shield elements When it is desired to remove a shielding element, it is lifted at one edge, or both edges, as shown in Fig. 2, whereupon it can be slid laterally to permit one edge thereofto be lowered from the. holder III, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby permitting the element to be laterally shifted clear of the holder. Where the ends of the ele ments overlap, as hereinafter described, they will be shifted longitudinally a short distance to clear them of one another and permit removal of each element as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Each element has on one end a rib l5 that is recessed on its inner periphery for receiving a flange it of relatively small radius, that extends from a rib I! on an end of an adjacent element. This overlapping of the adjacent ends of the shield elements permits the rib l5 of one element to be brought into abutting engagement with the rib ll of an adjacent element, when moved together from their expanded positions shown in Fig. 4. The flange [6 serves to obstruct rays of light that would otherwise freely pass between adjacent ends of the shield elements.

The holder it carries end plates l8 and I9 that cover the extreme ends of the shield, and one or both of these end plates is provided with a spring finger 20 that when expanded yieldably holds the shield elements l3 in snug end-to-end engagement with one another. When it is desired to remove one of the shield elements l3, it is shifted lengthwise in a direction to cause compression of the spring 20 and to free its flange I6 from'engagement with an adjacent shield element, whereupon it can be tilted and removed from the holder l0 independently of the other shield elements.

In Fig. 6 I show a shield element 2| of somewhat difierent form than that of Figs. 1 to 5, in that while it has flanges 22 that are adapted to rest upon the ledges II and i2, at least one wall of the element immediately beneath one of the flanges 22 and 23 is thickened as indicated at 24, so that when that side of the shield element is raised to bring the shoulder 24 above the ledge H, the element may be slid sidewise to allow its flange 23 to be moved downwardly past the ledge l2. Ordinarily, a shoulder 24 will be provided also beneath the flange 23. The ends of the elements 2| may berecessed and flanged, as at l5 and It in Fig. 5.

We claim as our invention:

1. A shielding .device for lamps, comprising led es H an II. as s wn in F 1. in order to horizontally-disposed shield-holding ledges and means for supporting them at opposite sides of a lamp, shield elements of generally channel form positioned in longitudinal alignme t and each arranged to be positioned outward] :oi the lamp, marginal flanges on opposite sides of the shield elements and fitting behind said ledges, the elements being slidable longitudinally of the ledges, stop shoulders on the sides of each shield element at the bases of the flanges, positioned to engage the adjacent edges of the ledges, each shield element being of reduced width at points outwardly from the shoulders, whereby when one side of the shield element is pushed inwardly to disengage its shoulder from the adjacent ledge, the shield element can be freely moved sidewise to cause the flange at its other sidetobe moved clear of its associated ledge and permit that side of the shield element to be swung outwardly from said ledge, and a spring positioned to exert endwise' thrust on the shield elements, to yieldably maintain them in end-to-end relation.

2. A shielding device for lamps, comprising horizontally-disposed shield-holding ledges and means for supporting them at opposite sides of a lamp, shield elements of generally channel form positioned in longitudinal alignment and each arranged to be positioned outwardly of the lamp, marginal flanges on opposite sides of the shield elements and fitting behind said ledges, and stop shoulders on the sides of each shield elerrient at the bases of the flanges. positioned to ngage the adjacent edges of the ledges, each shield element being of reduced width at points outwardly from the shoulders, whereby when one side of the shield element is pushed inwardly to disengage its shoulder from the adjacent ledge, the shield element can be freely moved sidewise to cause the flange at its other side to be moved outwardly clear of its associated ledge and permit that side of the shield element to be swung outwardly froinsaid ledge, adjacent ends of-the shield lements fitting in telescopic relation with one another.

3.'A shielding device for lamps, comprising horizontally-disposed shield-holding ledges and means for supporting them at opposite sides of a lamp", shield elements of generally channel form positioned in longitudinal alignment and each arranged to be positioned outwardly of the lamp, marginalflanges on opposite sides of each shield element and fitting behind said ledges,

4 stop shoulders on the sides of each shield element at the bases of its flanges, positioned to engage the adjacent dges of the ledges, each shield element being of. reduced width at points outwardly from the shoulders, whereby when one side of the shield element is pushed inwardly to disengage its shoulder from the adjacent ledge, the shield element can be freely moved sidewiseto cause the flange at its other side to be moved clear of its associated ledge and permit that side of the shield element to be swung outwardly from said ledge, adjacent ends of the shield elements fitting in telescopic relation with one another, and spring means carried by the ledge-supporting means, for yieldably maintaining said relation.

4; A shielding device for lamps, comprising horizontally-disposed shield-holding ledges and means for supporting them at opposite sides of a lamp, shield elements of generally channel form positioned in longitudinal alignment and each arranged to be positioned outwardly of the lamp, marginal flanges on opposite sides of the shield elements and fitting behind said ledges, the elements being slidable longitudinally of the ledges, a stop shoulder on one side of each shield element at the base of the adjacent flange and positioned to engage the edge of the adjacent ledge, each shield element being of reduced width at points outwardly from its marginal flanges and the said shoulder, whereby when one side of the shield element is pushed inwardly to disengage its shoulder from the adjacent ledge, the shield element can be freely moved sidewise to cause the flange at its other side to be moved clear of its associated ledge and permit that side of the shield element to be swung outwardly from said ledge, and a spring positioned to exert endwise thrust on the shield elements, to yieldably maintain them in end-to-end relation.

ERSON V. OGG. HUGH J. CLASPY. 

